Convertible folding tray table and coffee table



J. B. ADLER Jan. 19, 1954 CONVERTIBLE FOLDING TRAY TABLE AND COFFEE TABLE Filed March 1, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Jomv a. Aou k.

ATTORNEL Jan. 19, 1954 J. B. ADLER 6,

CONVERTIBLE FOLDING TRAY TABLE AND COFFEE TABLE Filed March 1, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Arrow/s).

Patented Jan. 19,1954

' El)? O.FFICE:v

GONVERTIBEEFOLDING'TRAYFTABLEIANDY- TABEEYE? J olin. .B'; Adler, ,,,G'r'osse Ile, Mich assignor m. Sliwayd'e'r Brothers, ,,Denver,,,qolo., a corpora-i ApplicagtiomMarehzl; 1951, Serial No. 213,363

This invention relates -.to.,-folding ,,tray. ytable and-,moreparticularlvto a folding standardof. X

shape and having a removable tray., 7

Ittisthe object of the present invention .toprovide .a..novel: .folding tray. table. wherein I a.- pair of. .hollowreetangularlv ..shaped= supporting ele.--- mentsaare. .pivotally .joined together .intermediate.-. their, ends to provide.attrav support across. their..

uDDeronds.

Thar-further, object of this. invention -.is. to provide tarnoveltray. construction. whereby said tray.

may. .-be.removably snapped .onto theupper portions :ofhthe: cross..supports, andiwherein. said. trait mays be, removed. .andVsaid supports. rturnedv 90 .degrees'npon: one f: their. side. members, .and'

wherein. said tray, ,maygbe repositioned. upon: the

other oLsaid side memberssto. provide a coffee tablet-t These and other-:pbj ectswill. beseen from. the

with a*==portion of the tray broken away andse'ction ed;

Fig 3 is a perspective view of tlie folding "tray table? F g. 4'=is an enlarged'fragmentary yiew of'apair of adjacent supportingmembers 'wvith the' -stop bi'aeliet 'illustrated; V

5 'i's an-enlarged fragmentary section illus trating'therelation-betweemtlieupper end 'of the tra support andthe --spririgclip upon the tray in -cooperation therewith. V

Fig. 6- --is-a-planview of thed'oldihg tray *table as "converted 'to a coffee- -tabler with the supports therefor having been rotated 90 -degrees- -forwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of the table shown in Fig. 6 with a portion of the tray broken away and sectioned to illustrate its relation to the support therefor; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the table shown in Figs. 6 and 7. 7

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set out.

Referring to the drawings the folding tray table shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 consists of a pair of preferably tubular hollow rectangularly shaped supports II and I2 pivotally joined to each other at I3 intermediate their. respective ends.

The lower parallel spaced supporting elements I throughoutits: outerportion which-terminates 2,. I 4 .andl5 v form.a.-.par.t..-of: supports. ;:I I I and, ;I 2 re;-' spectively and areadapted to-bear upon any; hori-r zontal. surface.

Therformed tray I 6:: has a peripheral-1 ridge; I1

the depending peripheral flanged8.-which.is -pr0e vided with an.- upturned-lower': flange; :24 as shown in Fig. 1 .toafiord-x additional; rigidity to the: tray and. to provide a finished lower surface; ort-edger.

As-v shown in Fig; 2: aspacer I 9 is interposed be -es tweenthe supports-I I andIZuppn oneisidetheree of and a stop is interposedsbetween ztherather"; two support. elements uponswthe; opposite :side thereof. 7

The upper parallels. spacedcrosswbars: :I 9':- and? 29' at the upper ends of supports II andi-lznprovide .a horizontaleand ;sturdy;:support for-tray I fiawhose under. surface: iszzadapted; to; -bear, die;- rectly upon} said-.- cross=. bars:e,

There is provided a; suitable stop bracket. =;2 S O-Wn enlar ed 1in,'Fig 4 which? has a transverse: arcuateslot. 22$.and: whichds secured atone side. to-the support. .-I as by the rivet 2.I- and: is .-se cured .als0.-. to. the. rivet. or pivot-pin I 3::betweensupports II and..l 2; Pinorr-irivetv23-sprojectsa throughsupport I I r and. also --.through.th'e.-arcuate slot- 22.01 stop. bracket 2 l1 and. isadapted for sliding. movement within. said slot-to .limit the .outward. expansion. .of. .the. X-shaped; supports and alsotopermit their.- collapsi ng as .desired.

A4 pair .ofspring. clips, 25 depend from; spaced central...portions.of. the. under surfacel-oietrav I6. and; are suitablyv secured thereto by; the... clip; flangeslfi, preferahlyweldedto the under surface oiltravlfi.

Said g-spring clips include theresilient horizon-a tally: endinwardlv directedportionsil which. terminate in the outturned .guideflanges 28.; whereby said tray may be snapped over and upon the cross rods I9 and 20 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, and with said spring clips 25 removably and retainingly engaging said upper ends of the supports II and I2.

In view of the outturned flanges 28 the snapping on of the tray I6 is facilitated, said clips being effective for securing said tray in position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

As shown in Fig. 2 the lower cross supports I4 and I5 are slightly ofiset so as to define at their opposite ends the surface engaging and supporting elements 29. Furthermore one of the side elements of each hinged pair of supports II and .12 is inwardly offset to thereby provide at their respective ends a curved supporting element 39 hereafter described in further detail.

Referring to Figs. 6, '7, and 8 the X shaped support shown in Fig. 3 has been revolved 90 degrees so that the side portion of the supports H and I2 of Fig. 3 now provide the bottom supports for the converted cofiee table.

As above described one of the sides of support I2 is offset to thereby provide the end supports 30, and as shown in Fig. 8 said end supports cooperate with the bottom surface of upport I I to thereby provide a rigid non-tipping support for the table in the position shown.

Similarly as above described one of the other side portions of the support II is also oifset to provide the rounded end supports 3!, the upper portions of which are coplanar with the top surface of the adjacent support element 12 to thereby provide a rigid support for the tray [6 as illustrated in Fig. 7.

In the converted position of the tray table the under surface 32 of tray I6 bears upon the support elements 3| and upon the support element l2, and at the same time the tray is so constructed that the respective curved ends of the supports l I and I2 project snugly into the interior corners of said tray upon its under side and with the flange l8 cooperatively bearing against lateral portions of said rounded ends.

Thus by this construction the tray I6 is firmly and effectively secured upon the supports H and 12 as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 to thereby provide a versatile tray table which may be quickly converted from the form shown in Fig. 3 to the form shown in Fig. 8.

Having described my invention reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

' I claim:

' 1. A foldable tray table comprising a pair of hollow rectangularly shaped supports, with their respective sides pivotally connected intermediate their ends to form an X shape, the upper horizontal ends of said supports being spaced from each other, and a tray positioned and secured upon said spaced ends and adapted for complete removal therefrom, said supports being adapted for tipping 90 degrees whereby one of the pivotally connected sides of said supports rests upon a supporting surface, said tray being retainingly positioned upon and over the other side portions of said pivotally connected supports, said tray having a depending peripheral flange, and said tray and said flange being of such size that the interior corners of said flanges snugly and retainingly engage over the opposite end portions of the adjacent sides of said supports, an arcuately slotted stop bracket secured upon one of said sides of one of said supports adjacent its pivotal connection, and a headed pin extending through the slot of said bracket and secured to an adjacent side of the other support, limiting the pivotal opening movements of said supports facilitating assembly of said tray with respect to said spaced end and assembly of said flange around said end portions.

2. A foldable tray table comprising a pair of hollow rectangularly shaped supports, with their respective sides pivotally connected intermediate their ends to form an X shape, the upper horizontal ends of said supports being spaced from each other, a tray removably positioned upon said spaced ends, a pair of spaced opposed spring clips each secured to and depending from the undersurface of said tray at its central portion and arranged adjacent its opposite ends, each clip extending around the outside of and under the corresponding spaced end retainingly engaging the same, whereby said tray may be snapped over said ends and may be entirely removed therefrom, said supports being adapted for tipping 90 degrees whereby one of the pivotally connected sides of said supports rests upon a supporting surface, said tray being retainingly positioned upon and over the other side portions of said pivotally connected supports, said tray having a depending peripheral flange, and said tray and said flange being of such size that the interior corners of said flanges snugly and retainingly engage over the opposite end portions of the adjacent sides of said supports, an arcuately slotted stop bracket secured upon one of said sides of one of said supports adjacent its pivotal connection, and a headed pin extending through the slot of said bracket and secured to an adjacent side of the other support, limiting the pivotal opening movements of said supports providing a rigid structure independent of said tray and pre-determining the positions of said supports for cooperatively receiving said tray.

JOHN B. ADLER.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 150,531 Cowles et a1. May 5, 1874 482,625 Dunbar- Sept. 13, 1892 1,462,615 Noble July 24, 1923 1,652,942 James Dec. 13, 1927 1,976,031 Lowenberg Oct. 9, 1934 2,215,131 Page Sept. 17, 1940 2,360,231 Horton Oct. 10, 1944 2,434,800 Hollander Jan. 20, 1948 2,483,263 Cummings Sept. 27, 1949 2,514,735 Wilson et a1. July 11, 1950 2,524,873 Baxter Oct. 10, 1950 2,525,405 Feirtag Oct. 10, 1950' 2,540,254 Garber Feb. 6, 1951 

